Seven Ways To Be Damned
by Eveylin
Summary: The devil takes a pleasing form. She has an angel's name and a devil's eyes. [Angel Parker. IotH.]


**Author's note:** things about IotH never added up for me. Like the fact that Jarod and Miss Parker both strained to push the tomb lid, but apparently a small girl managed to move it on her own? So I started thinking about it backwards and upside down and this arrived. Written for the pretender100 challenge on livejournal.

**seven ways to be damned**

**Summary: **The devil takes a pleasing form. She has an angel's name and a devil's eyes. Angel Parker, Island of the Haunted related.

* * *

All around the island the little girl ghost skips, hiding in the corner vision, darting away when they look. "Such a sad fate," they whisper to themselves.

The little girl smiles.

---

_**faith**_  
_A strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny_

They were good God faring people; said their prayers, went to church. What more could the Lord want?

When she was three years old he told her about the scrolls and their power. Her eyes went wide and she clutched her doll tightly. He laughed at her expression and thought about it no longer.

A little while later she asked again, and again, and again.

Every time her eyes went wide but now knew it wasn't from fear. She was different; he could tell. She said she heard voices and he believed her.

Her mother called her 'Angel'; he called her nothing at all.

**_justice_**  
_The administration of law; the act of determining rights and assigning rewards or punishments_

His wife was on the ground weeping, her mouth forming _God why?_ as the tears trickled down her cheeks.

"How did you get this?" he asked her.

She looks up at him with angelic eyes and gives a little half-shrug, "They told me where to look."

Her mother wails.

"I'm locking them away! Don't try to find them!"

She clutches her doll tightly to her.

He knows she looks; searches endlessly whenever they leave her alone. He knows she's getting closer, and somehow hiding the clues away, but he knows it's safe.

A little girl could never move a tomb.

_**prudence**  
Discretion in practical affairs_

The demon – he's long since ceased calling it his daughter – is smart. He gives it that.

It goes to the priest and confesses. Though he cannot hear what they say, he can imagine the conversations all too easily:

"_My father has gone mad. He has the scrolls. He changed since he got them." _

It is crafty to use his own church against him.

The priest asks him if he needs guidance through tough times. The priest reminds him that the devil often takes on pleasing forms.

He stares at _it _standing beside him"Yes, father," he says, "it often does."

**_hope_**  
_A specific instance of feeling hopeful_

It says its prayers but they no longer watch from the doorway with pride. They're in their own room praying for guidance.

His wife sniffs as she clasps her hands together. He watches her out the corner of his eye.

This has gone on far too long.

At the door _it _says "Mommy? Daddy?" and they both jump.

"Just a second," one of them says.

He finishes his prayers and waits for a second. Except for the sniffing from his wife there is silence. A tiny bit of hope dies inside him all over again.

He tries not to think _God why have you forsaken me_.

**_temperance_**  
_The trait of avoiding excesses_

He never drank, smoked, or hit his wife. He was a good man and he loved his family dearly.

Before.

It sounds so ominous, as if some sort of great plague or disaster has struck.

Strange that it should be a child.

His wife says, "Dear, I think you've had enough."

The thing is sitting in the corner staring far off places and listening to the voices so, no, dear, he hasn't had enough. Not nearly enough.

She presses her lips tightly together and takes the bottle from him. He grabs it back, drinking straight from it. She grabs again and this time he hits her.

It's instinct, pure instinct. He never meant to. He opens his mouth to say so but she dashes from the room.

In the corner the thing laughs.

_**fortitude**  
Strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage_

The house burns easily, far better than he had imagined. From inside he can hear the demon screaming and crying. Dimly he wonders why; it was born in fire.

Beside him his wife sobs, great heaves that shake her whole body. He wants to reach out and comfort her but he knows if he looks away the thing will escape from the flames.

Suddenly she dashes from his side and back into the house. He tries to stop her but his hand slips off her arm and she's gone.

Inside the house the cries stop. He knows she's found it.

He readies the gun and waits.

**_charity_**  
_A foundation created to promote the public good_

Desperate parents come from all over the country to see him. Sometimes they come from around the world.

They all have their stories of supernatural events and frightening abilities. They've all reached their wits' end and have tried everything else: prayer, treatment, discipline. Nothing works.

He explains about his charity easily. A sub-branch of the actual company; treatment is free; he once had a little girl that heard voices. She died.

The parents are sceptical but when even prayer has solved nothing…

They sign the papers. Each and every one of them.

One day he'll cure them all. One day.

**end.**


End file.
